Transfer assembly and system for aquaculture

Abstract

A system for transferring marine life within an aquaculture facility including a plurality of segregated storage facilities each containing water for marine life, maintained within a predetermined temperature range and supported at independent ground levels. The storage facilities are successively disposed and structured to contain marine life at different stages of growth. A transfer assembly includes a path of fluid flow interconnecting successive ones of said plurality of storage facilities in fluid communication with one another, wherein at least a majority of a length of said path of fluid flow is disposed beneath the independent ground levels at a predetermined depth, which is sufficient to facilitate maintenance of the path of fluid flow within the predetermined temperature range, via geothermal cooling.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A system for transferring marine life within an aquaculture facility, said system comprising:
 a plurality of storage facilities each including containment water for marine life, maintained within a predetermined temperature range, 
 said plurality of storage facilities including at least a first and a second storage facility, 
 said first and said second storage facilities segregated and disposed at independent ground levels, 
 a transfer assembly disposed in interconnecting relation between said first and second storage facilities, 
 said transfer assembly comprising a path of fluid flow from said first storage facility to at least said second storage facility, 
 at least a majority of a length of said path of fluid flow disposed beneath the independent ground levels at a predetermined depth, and 
 said predetermined depth sufficient to substantially maintain said path of fluid flow within said predetermined temperature range. 
 
     
     
       2. The system as recited in  claim 1  wherein said transfer assembly comprises a conduit structured and dimensioned to contain and transfer a predetermined volume of containment water and marine life from said first storage facility to said second storage facility. 
     
     
       3. The system as recited in  claim 1  comprising said predetermined depth of said path of fluid flow being disposed at a spaced distance above a proximate water table. 
     
     
       4. The system as recited in  claim 3  wherein said path of fluid flow is disposed at said spaced distance, out of heat transferring relation to the water table. 
     
     
       5. The system as recited in  claim 3  wherein said path of fluid flow is disposed at said spaced distance, out of heat transferring relation to a seasonal variance of the water table. 
     
     
       6. The system as recited in  claim 1  wherein the independent ground level of at least one of said first and second storage facility is defined by a revised ground level, said revised ground level disposed and structured at a predetermined height above a corresponding normal ground level. 
     
     
       7. The system as recited in  claim 6  wherein said predetermined height of said revised ground level is disposed above the proximate water table a distance sufficient to define a disposition of said path of fluid flow at said predetermined depth, out of heat transferring relation to the water table. 
     
     
       8. The system as recited in  claim 1  wherein the independent ground level of each of said plurality of storage facilities is defined by a revised ground level, said revised ground level disposed and structured at a predetermined height above a corresponding normal ground level. 
     
     
       9. The system as recited in  claim 8  wherein said predetermined height of each of said revised ground levels is disposed above the water table a distance sufficient to define a disposition of said path of fluid flow at said predetermined depth out of heat transferring relation to the water table. 
     
     
       10. The system as recited in  claim 1  wherein said plurality of storage facilities are included within and define a portion of a recirculating aquaculture system. 
     
     
       11. A system for transferring marine life within an aquaculture facility, said system comprising:
 a plurality of storage facilities each including containment water for marine life, maintained within a predetermined temperature range, 
 said plurality of storage facilities segregated from one another and disposed at revised ground levels, 
 said plurality of storage facilities disposed and structured to contain marine life at different stages of growth, 
 a transfer assembly comprising a path of fluid flow dimensioned to transfer aquaculture there along, said path of fluid flow interconnecting successively communicating ones of said plurality of storage facilities in fluid communication with one another, 
 at least a majority of a length of said path of fluid flow disposed beneath the revised ground levels at a predetermined depth, and 
 said predetermined depth sufficient to substantially maintain said path of fluid flow within said predetermined temperature range. 
 
     
     
       12. The system as recited in  claim 11  wherein said transfer assembly comprises a conduit structure dimensioned to transfer a predetermined volume of containment water and marine life between successively communicating ones of said plurality of storage facilities, based on different growth stages of marine life being transferred. 
     
     
       13. The system as recited in  claim 11  comprising said predetermined depth of said path of fluid flow being disposed at a spaced distance above a proximate water table. 
     
     
       14. The system as recited in  claim 13  wherein said path of fluid flow is disposed at said spaced distance, out of heat transferring relation to the water table. 
     
     
       15. The system as recited in  claim 13  wherein said path of fluid flow is disposed at said spaced distance, out of heat transferring relation to a seasonal variance of the water table. 
     
     
       16. The system as recited in  claim 11  wherein said revised ground level disposed and structured at a predetermined height above a corresponding natural ground level. 
     
     
       17. The system as recited in  claim 16  wherein said predetermined height of said revised ground level is disposed above the proximate water table a distance sufficient to define a disposition of said path of fluid flow at said predetermined depth, out of heat transferring relation to the water table. 
     
     
       18. The system as recited in  claim 11  wherein the independent ground level of each of said plurality of storage facilities is defined by a revised ground level, said revised ground levels disposed and structured at a predetermined height above a corresponding normal ground level. 
     
     
       19. The system as recited in  claim 18  wherein said predetermined height of each of said revised ground levels is disposed above the water table a distance sufficient to define a disposition of said path of fluid flow at said predetermined depth and out of heat transferring relation to the water table. 
     
     
       20. The system as recited in  claim 11  wherein said plurality of storage facilities are included within and define a portion of a recirculating aquaculture system.